A cocaine-addicted burglar was jailed just months after receiving a suspended sentence because he pleaded for a chance to clean up his act.

One man crimewave Robert Osu laughed in January as a judge gave him a suspended sentence for burgling a student house.

Osu, 35, was caught red-handed after sneaking into a student house on Brompton Avenue, near Sefton Park, and helping himself to other people's belonging while they were upstairs.

But the court heard he had “turned himself around” as his girlfriend was four months pregnant.

The judge gave Osu, who had been on remand for four months, a suspended sentence meaning he would be set free the same day, telling him: “With your new child coming up it might give you a chance to improve. You have glowing reports from prison so you are not a lost cause yet.”

But in May Osu was caught sneaking out of another student house, on Croxteth Road, Toxteth , having stolen a TV while the owner was on Easter holiday.

He even had the TV’s remote control sticking out of his trousers when police arrested him after a tip off from a concerned neighbour about two suspicious men.

Osu tried to jump over a fence to escape and struggled with police when he was caught, trying to throw the remote into another garden and then claiming it was his mobile phone.

Other items were stolen including computer consoles but the prosecution accepted they were taken by Osu’s accomplice who has not been prosecuted.

Osu, of Fern Lodge, Toxteth, denied carrying out the burglary, saying that he lived in the area and was just being “victimised” by police.

But the prolific thief, who has 26 convictions for 70 offences, later pleaded guilty to burglary.

Because it was his third conviction he was told he was facing a minimum three year sentence.

Michael Bagley, defending, said it the burglary was the result of “impetuous behaviour” which had proved “too tempting”.

He said: “It’s his cocaine addiction which skews his judgement profoundly when he is at liberty.”

Mr Bagley added that Osu wanted to “prove himself”.

Judge Thomas Teague, QC, said: “You’re now 35 years-old, a family man with two young children but that hasn’t so far prevented you from committing offences.

“These are two separate consecutive convictions for burglary of dwellings.

“It’s a pretty blatant case. You had your chance and you blew it.”

He jailed Osu for 876 days, which is the threeyear minimum less some time off for his guilty plea, and activated an eight month suspended sentence he was in breach of.